


A weekend to remember

by Kalah



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Robb is an overprotective brother, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-14 17:30:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8022805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalah/pseuds/Kalah
Summary: Friday night dinners were almost a sanctuary in the Stark house, especially since the older children had gone off to college.But this night it had been different right from the beginning...And it marks the beginning of a turbulent weekend for the Starks. I hope you enjoy it!





	1. Friday

Friday night dinners were almost a sanctuary in the Stark house, especially since the older children had gone off to college.

It was the time when the whole family was assembled together again.

Robb and Sansa came home for the weekend, sometimes joined by Robb's best and close family friend, Jon Snow.

 

But this night it had been different right from the beginning.

 

 

While preparing dinner, Catelyn and Arya had one of their many conversations about the sort of friends she was hanging out with.

Recently Arya had spent more time out and about than at home and her mother was concerned.

“How many times have I said that at friday you have to be home by five o'clock to help with the food? It is half past six! Where have you been?”

 

Arya rolled her eyes. It was her last year of school and she was counting the days to graduation so she could move out and live on her own- without curfews.

“I was just meeting some friends and we forgot time. It isn't that bad.”

“Some friends? It's this Gendry boy, isn't it?”

“And what if? Is it because he comes from Flea Bottom?” One of the more shabby quarters of King's Landing. “He is still the son of father's best friend.”

“And have you seen Robert lately?” Robert Baratheon may have been handsome and strong in his youth, but now after a loveless marriage and an even uglier divorce he was a mess, drunk almost all the time.

“He is nothing like him! If you would care just to spend a few seconds with him, even you could see what a great guy he truly is!”

“I am just worried, Arya. That he will hurt you.”

 

“If somebody should be worried about getting hurt it should be Gendry.” Robb had entered the kitchen and grinned widely.

“Do you remember the black eye Joffrey had after his and Sansa's breakup?” He pointed toward his sister.

Catelyn turned her head. “You did what?” She prepared to hold a long speech about how a proper girl should behave but Robb cut in.

He embraced her and murmured. “Calm down, mother. It was years ago. And let's face it. The bastard deserved it.”

Catelyn could not object. Joffrey had mentally abused Sansa and all of them had been glad when it had ended.

 

“So Arya.” Robb went over to her. “Any news of where you want to go to college?”

 

Arya shrugged. “I have looked through some of the brochures. Braavos seems interesting. They have a large sports program, mostly fencing. Harrenhal sounds interesting, too, very mysterious with a large history. Who knows? Maybe I'll stay here in Winterfell.”

 

Catelyn sighed. She never understood the looseness with which Arya approached these important decisions.

 

“You'll make the right choice, I am sure of it. Where is father and Bran and Rickon?”

“Your father is working late. Again. Robert did not show up today so he had to take over his clients, too.”

“Bran and Rickon are in the garden. Somehow the idea of doing a barbecue came to them just an hour ago. Now they are broiling everything they can get hold of.” Arya replied. “By the way. Isn't Sansa with you? Or Jon?”

“Jon has so much stuff to do for university, so he won't make it. And Sansa...” The eldest Stark grimaced. “I do not know. She did not answer me when I asked if I should pick her up. I just figured she will come on her own. Anyway, I'll go and have a look on what the boys are fabricating outside.”

 

When the meal was almost ready, Ned entered with a sour face.

“Hello, darling.” He placed a kiss on Catelyn's face.

“Is everything alright?” She asked him.

“Work was very stressful and after that I drove by Robert's to see if he is doing okay.”

“And?” Catelyn's concern grew.

“He was drunk, couldn't even talk any more, just laying there. So I tried to get him to sober up.” He frowned. “I guess he is better for now. I will visit him again tomorrow.”

He sat down and poured himself a glass of water. “Speaking of Baratheons, I met Gendry.”

 

Arya and Catelyn shifted simultaneously.

 

“After I left Robert's house I saw him. He wanted to look after his father, too. I talked to him for a bit. He seems like a decent fellow.”

 

Arya faced her mother with raised eyebrows that said something like “I told you so.”.

 

“Like our Arya, he does not have a plan what to do after school, either. He is very interested in law, so I offered him a job as an intern in our office. To see if he can imagine himself heading in this direction.”

“That was really nice of you, father. Right mother?” Arya expressed.

 

“We will see.” Were the only words Catelyn could get out.

 

The family assembled at the dinner table. Loads of roasted food were on the table that Bran and Rickon had proudly presented.

But still no sign of Sansa.

“Has anybody heard of her?” Ned asked around.

But nobody had. They had called her but she had not answered her phone.

 

“Maybe she is just having an exhausting day or is still studying and turned her phone off and completely forgot what day it is. It has happened before.” Robb tried to calm the others down. “I would not worry too much.”

His words did not convince them but they had no other choice than to start eating.

 

Nobody said a word during the meal.

Sometimes one of them would try to break this awful silence but then decided not to.

 

Ned was still in thoughts what to do with his and Robert's partnership. Robert's brother Stannis was also a lawyer. Ned considered asking him if he would help out for some time. If he had to do all of his and his best friend's work any longer he was sure he would lose his head.

 

Catelyn was worried about Sansa. She had never missed dinner before and Robb's words had not calmed her down at all. On the opposite she had been shocked about her son's casualness.

 

Robb himself, he had an idea where his sister might be. But he could not tell his family.

 

Arya on the other hand was thinking about her father's surprising news. Gendry would be an intern at his office. She was not sure if she should be scared that her father and her best friend ( _Best friend....you know he is more than that, a voice in her head said)_ should be spending so much time together.

 

Lastly Bran and Rickon were just thinking about what a success their barbecue had been and that they should do this more often.

 

 

Suddenly the phone rang and the whole family startled.

 

Arya was the quickest. “Hello? Arya Stark speaking.” She turned red. “Father, it is for you. It is Gendry.”

Ned was surprised by this. He took the phone out of Arya's hand and answered. “Gendry, tell me what's happened...I understand...I'll be there as soon as possible. Thank you for calling.” He hung up and rose. “Robert had gotten worse. So Gendry had to call an ambulance and needs help now with all the forms and so on. I will drive to the hospital.”

“Can I come with you?” Arya exclaimed.

Ned looked into his daughter's eyes and nodded. “Maybe it's better if you do. Gendry seemed stressed out and might use a friend right now. “

Catelyn wanted to protest at first but she trusted her husband.

 

At the sound of the parting car Catelyn muttered. “There goes the family evening.” She had always emphasised how important these dinners were, and family in general.

 

Robb noticed her sadness. “We'll make us a lovely evening, the four of us, right boys?”

He encouraged his brothers to nod and continued. “We will do whatever you want. Maybe watch a film or play a game?”

“You know what would be really helpful at the moment?” Catelyn's tone was sharp. “If you would go outside and clean up the mess you made with the barbecue at the terrace. And then you can come inside and continue in the kitchen. I will go upstairs. Good night.”

 

She put the dishes she had held in her hands back on the table and went upstairs.

 

Robb smirked and faced the younger ones. “You better go and do as she commands. You know how easily she turns into a heartless monster when she gets angry.” He stated theatrically. “Go!”

 

“She addressed you, too, idiot.” Bran uttered.

“No, no. It was your idea to do this barbecue, I was merely watching. You got yourself into that mess, now you have to get out by yourself, too.”

 

With that he went into the living room and sat down on the sofa, turning on the television.

 

An hour later he heard a car in the drive way. When they entered the living room Robb asked. “How bad was it this time?” He hears Arya clear her throat and turned around, only to see Gendry standing with them.

 

“The doctors had to pump his stomach and he is spending the night at the hospital.” Arya whispered.

And then she suggested. “Do you want to go outside? Catch some fresh air?” Gendry nodded relieved and both left the room.

 

Ned sat down on the sofa next to Robb and laid his head in his hands.

“The doctors said that they were surprised he was even still alive. I should have seen it when I was at his house this evening. Then Gendry had to deal with it. He didn't know what to do so he called the ambulance. Fortunately, this turned out just to be the right thing.”

“I did not know the both of them kept in touch.”

“Well, Robert did not really care for Gendry all the way through his childhood. He only sent some birthday cards and helped out with the finances once in a while. But Gendry...he always wanted to know his father. And after the divorce he visited Robert regularly, seeing if he is doing alright.”

“Why did you bring him here tonight?” Robb wanted to know.

“He is in shock. And his mother is on a business trip. I did not want him to be alone at the moment.”

“I am sure _Arya_ will see to this.” Robb said with a wink. His father became even more severe.

“Come on, father.” Robb said yielding. “It was just a joke.”

“Safe the joking around for another time. I have to go to bed now. Bran and Rickon?” He asked Robb.

“Already in their rooms. After mother made them clean up the whole kitchen.” He grinned again and even his father could not suppress a subtle smile.

 

 

A sound from outside caused Robb to pause the film he was watching. It was the sound of the front door being opened and a person quietly tiptoed through the hallway. Robb got up and opened the door only to behold a frightened Sansa.

 

“Sansa! Where have you been? Mother's been worried sick!” His reproachful attitude only lasted a second because Sansa had started to cry.

“Oh Sansa, come here.” He said in a softer tone and embraced her. Her whole body was shaking and big tears ran down her cheeks.

“Come, I'll get you something to drink.” He lead her towards the kitchen. “Hot chocolate?”

She nodded thankfully and sat down.

He placed a steaming cup before her and sat down, too.

 

She took the cup in her hands but did not drink.

“I am so sorry to have caused such a fuss. I did not want to...I forgot to call and then-” She did not finish the sentence.

“You don't have to talk about it now. First go to sleep and tomorrow we can talk if you want to.”

“Thank you, Robb.”

“No problem. It's just what brothers do for their baby sisters.”

She seemed a bit disturbed at his words but Robb thrust it aside.

 

He just hoped that everything would be resolved in the morning.

 

 

 


	2. Saturday I

In the morning, Ned and Gendry got up early to drive to the hospital.

 

Arya sat at the kitchen table, in deep thoughts.

 

She remembered the look on Gendry's face when they had joined him in the hospital. She had never seen him so vulnerable. She knew, although he and Robert had not the best father-son relationship, that Gendry cared deeply about his father. She had done her best to calm him down.

She had taken his hand when the doctor had informed them about Robert's current state and had not let go off it, until they had gone back to the car.

She had been thrilled when their hands had met, it had been _different_? She had felt him getting a lot calmer, and herself, too.

Recently something in their relationship had changed. It was the way she looked at him. When she thought he wouldn't notice it she studied his face more carefully, noticing his bright eyes, his broad shoulders and how sometimes his muscles were showing, even through his clothes and-

 

“Stop it, Arya.” She said to herself. “This is Gendry you are thinking about. _Gendry_. Don't behave like a stupid girl!” But she couldn't change it. There were certainly feelings for her best friend and she had yet to consider them more thoroughly.

 

She frowned. This was not the right time. Gendry needed her now, as a _friend_.

 

She sighed and stood up, looking outside the window.

 

She couldn't believe her eyes. Out there sitting was Sansa, eyes closed, her head held towards the rising sun.

Her hair was glowing even redder in the sunlight.

 

Arya opened the window and called her sister. “Sansa!” The latter turned her head.

“Arya, you frightened me!”

“You frightened us, too, yesterday.”

Sansa turned her head again, blushing. “I know. I am really sorry.”

“Wait. I'll come outside.” Arya exclaimed.

 

Arya sat herself next to Sansa.

“Even without your disappearance it was a chilling evening. Robert Baratheon had to go to the emergency room.”

Sansa's eyes widened. “How awful. How is he?”

“He spent the night in the hospital. Father and Gendry left early in the morning to visit him.”

“Gendry?”

 

Arya nodded. “He was the one to call the ambulance. Father and I joined him in the hospital and then he stayed here overnight.”

Sansa raised an eyebrow at that. “So him and father are getting along well?”

“I think so. He even offered Gendry to be an intern in the office after graduation.”

“That must be a good sign for you two.”

Arya didn't know what Sansa meant. “A good sign for what?”

 

“Oh come on. Maybe you can deceive everyone else, but not me. I know a thing or two about these matters. But you don't have to worry. Your secret is well hidden with me.”

She winked at Arya who in turn only got more confused. “What secret?”

“That you and Gendry are a couple, of course. Admit it.”

 

“There is nothing going on between Gendry and me!”

Arya wanted to sound casual but she could not fool her sister.

 

“Well.” She added after a few seconds. “Not really. But..recently...” She felt stupid talking to her sister about it. “There are these feelings and I cannot figure them out.” She finished, embarrassed about herself.

 

Sansa smiled. “Do you think about him often?”

Arya nodded.

“And if you do, what are these thoughts about?”

“About, about how his eyes are glowing when he is smiling or his...his _body._ Or how he makes me laugh and sometimes I think about how _stupid_ he is. But then again...he is Gendry! My best friend. I would never even dare to think about him in _such_ a way.”

Her cheeks turned red.

“Oh, Arya! You are already in love with him, can't you see it? I believe it is true what they say after all. Love is blind.”

Arya, never short of words in her life, was speechless.

 

“There you are!” Robb entered the terrace. “Am I interrupting something?” He asked, noticing the tension between them.

“No.” Arya said quickly. “Well, actually yes. Sansa just wanted to tell me why she didn't make it yesterday, isn't that right Sansa?”

“Try what you want, Arya. This won't change the fact that you are in love.”

 

Robb's face became determined. “Arya, if Gendry hurts you, I will kill him!”

“Who said something about Gendry?” Arya was even more uncomfortable than before.

“It's obvious.” Robb contered. “But that's not the reason I came here. Sansa, mother wants to see you.”

 

The sisters got up and followed him to the living room where their mother was waiting.

 

“Sansa.” Catelyn gave Sansa a long hug.

“I am fine. There was just too much going on yesterday, you know. And I forgot to look at my phone and then I forgot what time it was.” Sansa looked over her mother's shoulders at Robb. He knew that this was not the whole truth.

Catelyn sighed in relief. “It is alright. It can happen to anybody.”

 

Arya protested quietly. When she had been late it had felt like the end of the world for her mother. Sansa didn't make it to dinner at all and she was received with open arms.

But she did not say it out loud, it would only end in another fight with her mother.

 

At the breakfast table Robb informed the others. “Jon is coming today.” He had observed Sansa's face and had seen how she startled for a second but then had controlled herself again.

“So maybe it has something to do with Jon.” He thought. “At least Jon might know what is going on for some reasons.” He looked at her again. She had dark rings under her eyes. He had to think about the time she had been with Joffrey. Her gaze reminded him of that and he worried that her ex-boyfriend might have come back into her life. _“I could talk to her after breakfast about it.”_ But on the other hand he didn't want to pressure her to say something if she wasn't ready yet.

 

At noon, Gendry and Ned returned. Arya went up to Gendry and gently touched his arm. A shiver went through her whole body when he took her hand in his.

 

“Are there any news?” Catelyn asked, intentionally ignoring Arya and Gendry's interaction.

 

“Robert is doing much better today. But he will have to do a rehab.” Ned said. “But the good news is that Stannis called and offered his help in the office. He said he felt it was his duty to do so.” Ned smiled sadly. “So that is one less thing to worry about.” Then he saw Sansa sitting at the table and breathed a sigh of relief. “Two less things to worry about.”

 

Robb wasn't sure about that. Somehow the way Sansa behaved reminded him of the time she and Joffrey had been a couple. She had said that everything was fine but her eyes had been empty and sad.

He could see the same sadness in her eyes now. What if Joffrey had come back into her life and kept hurting her? His eyes went grim. He would kill him.

 

Gendry still held Arya's hand and she felt uncomfortable, but at the same time...happy?

“So.” He turned to her. “Do you want to go to the lake today? We could have a picnic.”

They had gone to the lake hundreds of times, but still her cheeks felt as if they were burning and she felt a tingling sensation. “Yeah. That would be lovely.” Did she just say “lovely”?

“I already asked your father. So you are free to go without any problems.” He smiled shyly.

Arya was astonished. Usually he behaved like a stupid bull in her present.

 

 

Jon was in a bad mood. Robb discovered immediately. “Having a bad day?”

“Don't ask!” Was Jon's response.

They decided to go outside and play some football (soccer).

“Have you noticed Sansa acting strangely lately?”

Jon paused. “No...why? Is something wrong with her?”

“That is what I am trying to figure out, you know. I-”

They were interrupted by Bran and Rickon who wanted to join their game and the rest of the afternoon Robb was focused on football.

 

 

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone and the lake was glistening in its light.

“ _Like Gendry's eyes.”_ How could she make those feelings stop? There was no escape...

And now she was sitting with Gendry under a tall tree looking out over the water.

 

“I wanted to thank you. That you were there for me.” So that is what the picnic was about. Just a friend thanking another friend for supporting him in a _friendly_ way. Nothing wrong with that.

“No problem. I was glad that I could help you.” She said casually.

 

“That is not everything I wanted to talk to you about.”

He approached her.

Arya was nervous. What could he mean?

 

“There in the hospital, I became aware of something.” He took her hand again. “I realised that I have fallen in love with you.” He sighed and looked at her in clear anticipation of what she was going to answer.

“Gendry...I...I have to go.” She perceived that he was hurt. Regardless she stood up and ran away as fast as she could.

“Arya!” She could hear Gendry calling her.

She did not turn around.

 

Sansa was walking in the gardens and watching the boy's football game when Arya arrived. She was out of breath because she had run all the way home.

Sansa called her. “Arya! What's going on?”

Arya couldn't talk for a second and approached her sister.

“I...I...” She breathed heavily. “So Gendry and me were at the lake. Nothing unusual. But suddenly...suddenly he draws closer and starts telling that there is something I need to know, that he is in love! With me and...and so I ran!”

“Of course.”

“Don't look at me that way. What else was I supposed to do?”

 

“You could have told him that you are in love with him, too.” Sansa suggested.

 

“But then he would have known!”

 

“That would be the purpose in telling him.”

 

“Do you even know what you are talking about?”

 

“Yes, unlike you, I have some experiences regarding these situations. You are scared because this whole thing is new for you. And giving in to these feelings for Gendry would change your relationship.”

Arya bit her lip. Sansa was right, she was scared. That stupid bull...

“Hey Arya!” A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Jon came up to them and embraced Arya. She was glad to see him. He had always been like a brother to her.

“Hello Sansa.” He added reserved.

Arya had always wondered about their relationship.

Growing up Jon had been close with all the Stark children, except Sansa. But over the last weeks Arya noticed that they behaved different towards each other. Somehow in a way colder, but at the same time...warmer.

“Catelyn invited Gendry over for dinner.” Jon informed her.

“What?” No, no, no. Not today.

“She thought it would be a good idea. Getting to know him a little better and so on. Does this not make you happy, Arya?” He asked confused.

Arya could not answer, instead Sansa did. “Gendry told her today that he was in love with her and Arya ran away without saying anything.”

Jon and Sansa began to laugh.

“Don't mock me!” Arya exclaimed offended. “I'm going inside. You two are unbearable.”

They laughed even harder at that.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I planned this to be a story focusing mainly on Sansa and Jon. But then this whole thing with Robert came up, so the story will also continue to focus on that and Arya and Gendry's relationship.
> 
> I dont't know where all of this is heading yet but I try to update soon.


End file.
